Abstract: The current disclosure provides systems and methods for reducing clutter artifacts in medical images. In one example, a method for an image processing system comprises receiving a sequence of medical images including an amount of clutter artifacts; reducing the amount of clutter artifacts present in the sequence of medical images using a trained data-driven model, the data-driven trained on image sequence pairs including a first, lower-clutter image sequence as a target image, and a second, higher-clutter image sequence as an input image, the higher-clutter image sequence generated by superimposing an artifact overlay on the lower-clutter image sequence, the lower-clutter image sequence generated by an imaging device during a medical exam of a subject; and displaying an artifact-reduced version of the sequence of medical images on a display device of the image processing system, the artifact-reduced version outputted by the data-driven model.

Abstract: A deployable ultrasound imaging device is operably connected to an ultrasound imaging system including a processing unit configured to operate the transducer and the individual segments in order to emit ultrasound signals from the segments and to receive ultrasound signals from the structures surrounding the segments. The ultrasound imaging system/processing unit can process the transmitted and received signals by beamforming to direct the ultrasound signals emitted from the segments in order to provide data for an ultrasound image of the desired structure(s). The ultrasound imaging system/processing unit mechanically or acoustically determines the position of the individual segments with regard to one another to determine the angular position of the segments with regard to one another.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for removing visual artifacts from a medical image acquired during a scan of an object, such as a patient. In one example, a method for an image processing system comprises receiving a medical image; performing a wavelet decomposition on image data of the medical image; performing one or more 2-D Fourier transforms on wavelet coefficients resulting from the wavelet decomposition; removing image artifacts from the Fourier coefficients determined from the 2-D Fourier transforms using a filter; reconstructing the medical image using the filtered Fourier coefficients; and displaying the reconstructed medical image on a display device of the image processing system.

Abstract: Systems and methods for enhancing spatial specificity and increasing effective image acquisition speed by performing flow processing on channel data for application of nonlinear beamforming are provided. The method includes generating clutter filtered signals, delaying the clutter filtered signals to provide delay aligned clutter filtered signals, calculating coherency of the delay aligned clutter filtered signals, and nonlinearly combining the delay aligned clutter filtered signals and the coherency of the delay aligned clutter filtered signals across each transducer element at one or more depths to generate at least one beamformed signal for each received set of echo signals in a sequence of echo signals at the one or more depths. The method includes calculating and presenting a measurement for the one or more depths based on the at least one beamformed signal for each received set of echo signals in the sequence of echo signals at the one or more depths.

Abstract: An ultrasound imaging system and method includes acquiring low-resolution volume data with an ultrasound probe during the process of acquiring high-resolution slice data of a plane with the ultrasound probe. The ultrasound imaging system and method includes displaying an ultrasound image on a display device based on the high-resolution slice data, generating a low-resolution volume based on the low-resolution volume data, and implementing, with a processor, a neural network to calculate guidance information based on the low-resolution volume. The ultrasound imaging system and method includes automatically performing an action with the processor based on the guidance information.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for motion corrected wide-band pulse inversion ultrasonic imaging. A first pulse is transmitted, a second pulse is then transmitted after a delay, with the second pulse having different polarity. Echoes of the first pulse and the second pulse are received, using a reception bandwidth that enables capturing at least a portion of a fundamental portion of each pulse. The echoes are processed, and corresponding ultrasound images are generated based on processing. The processing includes determining displacement data between the first pulse echo and the echo of the second pulse for at least one structure in an imaged area; determining one or more displacement corrections based on the displacement data; applying at least one displacement correction to at least one of the first pulse echo and the echo of the second pulse; and combining the first pulse echo and the echo of the second pulse.

Abstract: Systems and methods for estimating motion from overlapping multiline acquisitions of successive transmit events are provided. The method includes receiving a set of receive data points for each of a sequence of partially overlapping transmit beams emitted from transducer elements in multiple directions at a target. The set of receive data points includes a number of receive data point locations overlapping with receive data point locations generated from other transmit beams in the sequence. The method includes compensating each receive data point for a different arrival time. The method includes determining a displacement of the target by comparing components of pairs of co-located receive data points generated in response to different transmit beams. The method includes summing the co-located receive data points into a pixel of a B-mode image and presenting the B-mode image with velocity information based on the determined displacement of the target at a display system.

Abstract: An ultrasound imaging system and method includes acquiring low-resolution volume data with an ultrasound probe during the process of acquiring high-resolution slice data of a plane with the ultrasound probe. The ultrasound imaging system and method includes displaying an ultrasound image on a display device based on the high-resolution slice data, generating a low-resolution volume based on the low-resolution volume data, and implementing, with a processor, a neural network to calculate guidance information based on the low-resolution volume. The ultrasound imaging system and method includes automatically performing an action with the processor based on the guidance information.

Abstract: A deployable ultrasound imaging device is operably connected to an ultrasound imaging system including a processing unit configured to operate the transducer and the individual segments in order to emit ultrasound signals from the segments and to receive ultrasound signals from the structures surrounding the segments. The ultrasound imaging system/processing unit can process the transmitted and received signals by beamforming to direct the ultrasound signals emitted from the segments in order to provide data for an ultrasound image of the desired structure(s). The ultrasound imaging system/processing unit mechanically or acoustically determines the position of the individual segments with regard to one another to determine the angular position of the segments with regard to one another.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for motion corrected wide-band pulse inversion ultrasonic imaging. A first pulse is transmitted, a second pulse is then transmitted after a delay, with the second pulse having different polarity. Echoes of the first pulse and the second pulse are received, using a reception bandwidth that enables capturing at least a portion of a fundamental portion of each pulse. The echoes are processed, and corresponding ultrasound images are generated based on processing. The processing includes determining displacement data between the first pulse echo and the echo of the second pulse for at least one structure in an imaged area; determining one or more displacement corrections based on the displacement data; applying at least one displacement correction to at least one of the first pulse echo and the echo of the second pulse; and combining the first pulse echo and the echo of the second pulse.

Abstract: An ultrasound device acquires ultrasound image data corresponding to a plurality of volume frames of an object and applies morphing or motion compensation to the acquired ultrasound image data to track a particular region of the object. The ultrasound device compounds the motion compensated ultrasound image data that corresponds to the tracked particular region of the object within the plurality of volume frames of the object. The ultrasound device generates a stationary single three dimensional (3D) volume of the tracked particular region of the object. The ultrasound device acquires the ultrasound image data over at least a portion of a movement cycle. The ultrasound device generates motion tracking information and speckle tracking information from the acquired ultrasound image data for the tracked particular region of the object and group pixels corresponding to the tracked particular region of the object based on the generated motion tracking and speckle tracking information.

Abstract: A method for generating a spatially compounded image includes acquiring ultrasound information from two or more scan planes, wherein the scan planes are mutually offset by a spatial distance, and wherein at least one of the scan planes is non-planar such that the spatial distance between the scan planes is a function of depth, and combining the information from the scan planes to generate a compounded image. A system and non-transitory computer readable medium are also described herein.

Abstract: An ultrasound device acquires ultrasound image data corresponding to a plurality of volume frames of an object and applies morphing or motion compensation to the acquired ultrasound image data to track a particular region of the object. The ultrasound device compounds the motion compensated ultrasound image data that corresponds to the tracked particular region of the object within the plurality of volume frames of the object. The ultrasound device generates a stationary single three dimensional (3D) volume of the tracked particular region of the object. The ultrasound device acquires the ultrasound image data over at least a portion of a movement cycle. The ultrasound device generates motion tracking information and speckle tracking information from the acquired ultrasound image data for the tracked particular region of the object and group pixels corresponding to the tracked particular region of the object based on the generated motion tracking and speckle tracking information.

Abstract: Methods and systems for monitoring a transducer array in an ultrasound probe are provided. One method includes acquiring ultrasound data using an ultrasound probe during an imaging mode of operation, wherein the ultrasound data includes echo information. The method further includes comparing the echo information from a plurality of transducer elements of a transducer array of the ultrasound probe during the imaging mode of operation, wherein the echo information is non-beamformed signal data. The method also includes determining non-uniformity information for the transducer array using the compared echo information during the imaging mode of operation.

Abstract: Methods and systems for monitoring a transducer array in an ultrasound probe are provided. One method includes acquiring ultrasound data using an ultrasound probe during an imaging mode of operation, wherein the ultrasound data includes echo information. The method further includes comparing the echo information from a plurality of transducer elements of a transducer array of the ultrasound probe during the imaging mode of operation, wherein the echo information is non-beamformed signal data. The method also includes determining non-uniformity information for the transducer array using the compared echo information during the imaging mode of operation.

Abstract: A method for generating a spatially compounded image includes acquiring ultrasound information from two or more scan planes, wherein the scan planes are mutually offset by a spatial distance, and wherein at least one of the scan planes is non-planar such that the spatial distance between the scan planes is a function of depth, and combining the information from the scan planes to generate a compounded image. A system and non-transitory computer readable medium are also described herein.

Abstract: Methods and systems for monitoring a transducer array in an ultrasound probe are provided. One method includes acquiring ultrasound data using an ultrasound probe during an imaging mode of operation, wherein the ultrasound data includes echo information. The method further includes comparing the echo information from a plurality of transducer elements of a transducer array of the ultrasound probe during the imaging mode of operation, wherein the echo information is non-beamformed signal data. The method also includes determining non-uniformity information for the transducer array using the compared echo information during the imaging mode of operation.